Idiot Pilot
Encyclopedia
Idiot Pilot is an alternative rock
/electronica
duo from Bellingham, Washington
, United States
consisting of Michael Harris and Daniel Anderson
.
was originally self-released, before they were signed and remastered by Reprise
. The band has collaborated with Chino Moreno
of the Deftones
for their B-Sides & Rarities
album.
They have previously toured in the UK, but have also done stints in the US. These have been with acts such as Team Sleep
, +44
, The Seal Cub Clubbing Club
, The Smashing Pumpkins
, and The Used
.
They released their second album, Wolves
, on October 2, 2007, which has been co-produced by Mark Hoppus
of +44
and Blink-182
, and Ross Robinson
(Glassjaw
, At the Drive-In
, The Blood Brothers). The album features drumming by Chris Pennie
of Coheed and Cambria
(formerly of the Dillinger Escape Plan) and Travis Barker
of +44
and Blink-182
. It includes the song "Retina and the Sky", which is on the Transformers soundtrack
. They also filmed a video for Retina and the Sky with director Adam Egypt Mortimer. From 2007 they have also included live drummer Ryan Soukkala to their live show as well as Michael playing guitar in addition to singing.
In mid 2007, the duo appeared on the new album of Colorado post-hardcore band Drop Dead, Gorgeous
, Worse Than a Fairy Tale
. The collaboration was arranged by Ross Robinson, who produced the album.
In 2008, Idiot Pilot toured the USA on the Taste of Chaos
tour alongside Avenged Sevenfold
, Bullet for My Valentine
and Atreyu
.
In March 2009 Idiot Pilot chose to leave Reprise Records following the label's merger with parent company Warner Bros, due to poor promotion of their second album, Wolves
. Since this time, Harris has toured and recorded with Cold
vocalist Scooter Ward
's side project The Killer and The Star
, playing bass, and more recently toured with Cold as a second guitarist.
In March 2010 Idiot Pilot released a new song, "The Tail of a Jet Black Swan", through their official website as a pay-what-you-want download. It is unknown as to whether the single will be included on their upcoming third album or not.
In January 2011 Idiot Pilot announced an indefinite hiatus, writing on their website: "After months of recording, working and pouring our hearts into more Idiot Pilot material, we have decided to take a moment to ourselves." http://idiotpilot.com/2011/01/12/time-off/ Weeks later, it was announced that a compilation of unreleased material spanning the group's career would be in the works and ready for a release later in the year.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
/electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
duo from Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
consisting of Michael Harris and Daniel Anderson
Daniel Anderson (musician)
Daniel Robert Anderson is an American musician and record producer, and one the founding members of the alternative rock band Idiot Pilot, the folk/alternative band The Ghost and the Grace, and Glowbug. He is a multi-instrumentalist and provides vocals...
.
History
Their debut album, Strange We Should Meet HereStrange We Should Meet Here
Strange We Should Meet Here is an album released by electronic rock duo, Idiot Pilot, on May 17, 2005.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Michael Harris – vocals, producer...
was originally self-released, before they were signed and remastered by Reprise
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
. The band has collaborated with Chino Moreno
Chino Moreno
Chino Moreno is an American musician. He is best known as the lead singer and contributing guitarist of Deftones. He is also a member of the side-project bands Team Sleep and Crosses....
of the Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
for their B-Sides & Rarities
B-Sides & Rarities (Deftones album)
-DVD:# "7 Words"# "Bored"# "My Own Summer "# "Be Quiet and Drive "# "Change "# "Back to School "# "Digital Bath"# "Minerva"# "Hexagram"# "Bloody Cape"# "Engine Number 9"# "Root"-Credits:...
album.
They have previously toured in the UK, but have also done stints in the US. These have been with acts such as Team Sleep
Team Sleep
Team Sleep is an American experimental alternative rock group led by singer/guitarist Chino Moreno, better known for fronting the Sacramento-based band Deftones....
, +44
+44 (band)
+44 was an alternative rock band formed by Blink-182 members Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker...
, The Seal Cub Clubbing Club
The Seal Cub Clubbing Club
The Seal Cub Clubbing Club are a five-piece post-punk band from The Wirral, England. With their lyrics covering wildly different subjects, Thom Yorke like mutterings, repetitive instrumental hooks and unconventionally catchy choruses and melodys, their music is unlike other Merseyside bands The...
, The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
, and The Used
The Used
The Used is an American rock band from Orem, Utah. The band was founded in 2001 and signed to Reprise Records the same year. They rose to fame in June 2002 after releasing their self-titled debut album. They followed up with their second album, In Love and Death, in September 2004 and their third...
.
They released their second album, Wolves
Wolves (Idiot Pilot album)
Wolves is the second full length release by Washington duo Idiot Pilot. It was produced by Ross Robinson and Mark Hoppus . The third track, "Retina and the Sky" was also featured on the soundtrack of Michael Bay's film Transformers...
, on October 2, 2007, which has been co-produced by Mark Hoppus
Mark Hoppus
Mark Allan Hoppus is an American musician, record producer, and television host. He is the bass guitarist and one of the two lead vocalists of the pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the bass guitarist and lead vocalist of the alternative rock band +44. He is a co-founder of both bands...
of +44
+44 (band)
+44 was an alternative rock band formed by Blink-182 members Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker...
and Blink-182
Blink-182
Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...
, and Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson, son of Byron Katie, is an American multi-platinum music producer, who has discovered successful acts such as Korn, At the Drive-In, Glassjaw, Repeater, Slipknot and Limp Bizkit. Robinson has also worked with Machine Head, Vanilla Ice, The Cure, Sepultura and many others...
(Glassjaw
Glassjaw
Glassjaw is a four-piece rock band from Long Island, New York. The band is fronted by vocalist Daryl Palumbo and guitarist Justin Beck, and have undergone numerous line-up changes since their inception...
, At the Drive-In
At the Drive-In
At the Drive-In was an American rock band from El Paso, Texas, considered part of the post-hardcore genre and active from 1993 to 2001. They were known for their extremely energetic stage shows which hearkened back to the 1980s hardcore scene...
, The Blood Brothers). The album features drumming by Chris Pennie
Chris Pennie
Chris Pennie is the former drummer for the progressive rock band Coheed and Cambria and former drummer and co-founder of mathcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan.-Background:...
of Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria is an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York. Formed in 1995, the group incorporates aspects of progressive rock, punk rock, metal and post-hardcore....
(formerly of the Dillinger Escape Plan) and Travis Barker
Travis Barker
Travis Landon Barker is an American musician, producer and entrepreneur, most noted as the drummer for the American pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the alternative rock band +44, the rap rock band The Transplants, and the alternative rock band Box Car Racer. He was a frequent collaborator with...
of +44
+44 (band)
+44 was an alternative rock band formed by Blink-182 members Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker...
and Blink-182
Blink-182
Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...
. It includes the song "Retina and the Sky", which is on the Transformers soundtrack
Transformers: The Album
Transformers: The Album is a compilation album of various artists music from the 2007 live-action Transformers movie. The official single from the album is "Before It's Too Late " by the Goo Goo Dolls. The soundtrack debuted at number 21 on the U.S Billboard 200, selling about 32,000 copies in its...
. They also filmed a video for Retina and the Sky with director Adam Egypt Mortimer. From 2007 they have also included live drummer Ryan Soukkala to their live show as well as Michael playing guitar in addition to singing.
In mid 2007, the duo appeared on the new album of Colorado post-hardcore band Drop Dead, Gorgeous
Drop Dead, Gorgeous
Drop Dead, Gorgeous is a band from Denver, Colorado. They are currently signed to Suretone Records. The band consists of frontman Danny Stillman , Kyle Browning , Jake Hansen and Danny Cooper...
, Worse Than a Fairy Tale
Worse Than a Fairy Tale
Worse Than a Fairy Tale is the second album from Colorado band Drop Dead, Gorgeous. Worse Than a Fairy Tale is a concept album as well as an interactive experience for fans, telling the story of a serial killer who plies his trade in a small fictional town called Saylor Lake...
. The collaboration was arranged by Ross Robinson, who produced the album.
In 2008, Idiot Pilot toured the USA on the Taste of Chaos
Taste of Chaos
Taste of Chaos is a hardcore tour that was started in the winter of 2005 by Kevin Lyman, the creator of the successful Warped Tour along with friend and business partner, John Reese. The Taste Of Chaos tour caters for fans of the post-hardcore, screamo, and metal genres, while offering the same...
tour alongside Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1999, the group consists of vocalist M. Shadows, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Johnny Christ....
, Bullet for My Valentine
Bullet for My Valentine
Bullet for My Valentine are a Welsh heavy metal band from Bridgend, formed in 1998. The band is composed of Matt Tuck , Michael Paget , Jason James , and Michael Thomas . They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John and started their music career by covering songs by Metallica and Nirvana...
and Atreyu
Atreyu (band)
Atreyu is an American rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/lyricist Alex Varkatzas, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist Marc McKnight and drummer/vocalist Brandon Saller...
.
In March 2009 Idiot Pilot chose to leave Reprise Records following the label's merger with parent company Warner Bros, due to poor promotion of their second album, Wolves
Wolves (Idiot Pilot album)
Wolves is the second full length release by Washington duo Idiot Pilot. It was produced by Ross Robinson and Mark Hoppus . The third track, "Retina and the Sky" was also featured on the soundtrack of Michael Bay's film Transformers...
. Since this time, Harris has toured and recorded with Cold
Cold (band)
Cold is an American post-grunge band, formed in 1996 in Jacksonville, Florida. With two gold-albums Cold has sold over 1.2 million records in the US alone. On November 17, 2006, Ward announced on MySpace that, after a period of uncertainty since that February, the group had decided to disband. In...
vocalist Scooter Ward
Scooter Ward
Scooter Ward is an American musician. He is the founding member and lead singer of the Jacksonville, Florida hard rock band, Cold.-Career:...
's side project The Killer and The Star
The Killer and the Star
The Killer and the Star is a musical solo project started by Scooter Ward, frontman of the band Cold.-History:Originally named "The Witch", the band name was changed to "When November Falls" in November 2006, before any work had been done. In March 2008 the band again changed its name to its final...
, playing bass, and more recently toured with Cold as a second guitarist.
In March 2010 Idiot Pilot released a new song, "The Tail of a Jet Black Swan", through their official website as a pay-what-you-want download. It is unknown as to whether the single will be included on their upcoming third album or not.
In January 2011 Idiot Pilot announced an indefinite hiatus, writing on their website: "After months of recording, working and pouring our hearts into more Idiot Pilot material, we have decided to take a moment to ourselves." http://idiotpilot.com/2011/01/12/time-off/ Weeks later, it was announced that a compilation of unreleased material spanning the group's career would be in the works and ready for a release later in the year.
Members
- Michael Harris - vocals, guitar
- Daniel AndersonDaniel Anderson (musician)Daniel Robert Anderson is an American musician and record producer, and one the founding members of the alternative rock band Idiot Pilot, the folk/alternative band The Ghost and the Grace, and Glowbug. He is a multi-instrumentalist and provides vocals...
- guitar, bass, programming, keyboards, vocals
Discography
- Strange We Should Meet HereStrange We Should Meet HereStrange We Should Meet Here is an album released by electronic rock duo, Idiot Pilot, on May 17, 2005.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Michael Harris – vocals, producer...
(2005) - WolvesWolves (Idiot Pilot album)Wolves is the second full length release by Washington duo Idiot Pilot. It was produced by Ross Robinson and Mark Hoppus . The third track, "Retina and the Sky" was also featured on the soundtrack of Michael Bay's film Transformers...
(2007)